Dot 'n' Jax
by SideshowJazz1
Summary: A more modern retelling of the classic story, where Dorothy's cousin Jacqueline "Jax" Gale exists, and knows she needs to protect her naive innocent cousin. Did I mention Toto hates musicals? Give it a try.
1. Chapter 1: Running For It

**Hiya, readers! Probably my earlier readers didn't expect me here! For all my readers of my LotF story, I'm afraid it will be a long time until I write my sequel about Katie's kids. Meanwhile, I decided to write on the old classic that I loved when I was a little kid. Except, Dorothy is more of a naïve little girl than a personality-less girl, and her cousin Jax is there. The girls will encounter Oz, and there will be some twists! Read and Review, please!**

Dorothy ran down the dusty road away from Miss Gulch's house, with her shaggy puppy Toto following her. "Come on." she called to him. "We'll go tell Aunty Em about what she planned to do. I wonder what Jax will think." Jax-also Jackie or Jacqueline-was Dorothy's sixteen-year-old cousin, the daughter of Dorothy's aunt and uncle.

Dorothy ran to her aunt first, but she wouldn't listen. She at last went to Jax to complain. Jax wasn't properly listening, because she was trying to flirt with the farmhands.

"Miss Gulch said she was going to go to the sheriff to get Toto destroyed, just because he gets into her garden and chases her cat everyday." Dorothy persisted.

"Oh?" Jax said vaguely, turning to the youngest farmhand, nineteen-year-old Hunk. "You didn't hurt yourself again, did you?" she asked, rolling her eyes, acting like she thought he was stupid. "Hunk, you are a total klutz."

"Oh, but Toto doesn't do it every day!" Dorothy persisted. "He can't even catch the stupid cat."

Jax sighed, and gave her younger cousin full attention. "Gulch hates Toto, but most of the town hates her, and she has no real evidence against your dog to get him killed."

"Are you sure, Jax?" Dorothy asked.

Her cousin smiled at her. "Of course. Now go find somewhere where you'll stop getting in scrapes like these." She ran after the farmhands, again to flirt.

"Somewhere where there's no trouble." Dorothy mused. "Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto?" She dreamily stared up at the sky. "It's far, far away, behind the moon...beyond the rain...over the rainbow!" She began to sing, and Toto wished for the hundredth time that his best friend, kind and caring as she was to him, didn't break into song so frequently. It got old fast.

About an hour later, Miss Gulch was talking to the family about Toto. "I'm taking him to the sheriff to make sure he's destroyed."

"Destroyed, Toto?" gasped Dorothy. "Oh, you can't, you mustn't!" She ran to each member of your family. "You won't let her, will you?"

Jax shushed her. "Mom and Dad are fair. They wouldn't do that to you."

But Gulch had the law on her side. "I'm afraid poor Toto has to go." said Em, Dorothy's aunt and Jax's mom.

"No, no, I won't let you take him!" screamed Dorothy. "You go away-or I'll bite you myself!"

"Threatening to follow Toto's example isn't funny." Jax said, although her twitching lips betrayed that she didn't mean a word of it and was only expecting Gulch to believe she meant it.

"You wicked old witch!" Dorothy cried, hanging onto Toto.

"Take him and put him in the basket." Em told her husband, as he gently took Toto from a now sobbing Dorothy. "Jackie, you and Dorothy leave. Try to make her understand why we've done this." Dorothy was already running from the room. Jax followed, but overheard Em telling Gulch exactly what she thought of her. She grinned and followed Dorothy out.

"Listen, Dot." Jax said, using the nickname only she used for her cousin. "Toto's a smart dog. When Gulch takes him to the sheriff, he'll behave so well that she'll have to bring him back."

"I don't care." sobbed the younger girl. "She's making everything up. Toto didn't mean to do anything wrong."

Ten minutes later, Jax was still trying to comfort Dorothy when Toto jumped through the window.

Dorothy stopped crying and hugged him. "Oh, you came back!"

Jax gave the thumbs up. "Told ya he was smart."

"But they'll come back for him!" Dorothy added. "We've got to run away! Jax, you come with us."

"But it'll break Mom's heart!" Jax protested. "I can't come with you! Your running away alone will drive her crazy, but me going will kill her."

"Please?" begged Dorothy. "I'll leave a note for Auntie Em."

Jax thought it over. If she went with Dorothy, she could just about convince her to go back. And if she couldn't, she needed to be there to protect her. Dorothy was only twelve, and very naïve for her age. She was too trusting of other people.

"OK." Jax said, sighing. "I'll come with you, Dot."

Only fifteen minutes later, they came across the caravan of the fortune-telling Professor Marvel, who claimed to be travelling everywhere around the world. Dorothy asked him to take herself and Jax with him, and he said he had to consult the crystal ball first.

"Say no." Jax whispered to herself. "We should go home." Dorothy didn't hear her, but it seemed as if Marvel had, when he made his prediction with the crystal ball.

"Close your eyes." He instructed the girls. "We need to become connected to the magical world. Now you can open them, now let's gaze into the crystal." He predicted that Em had a heart attack with the shock of losing her niece and daughter.

Jax could tell he'd just looked at a picture of Dorothy and Em that was in her basket when they had their eyes closed, but Dorothy believed it. "I have to get to her right away!" she cried. "Come on, Jax, come on, Toto!"

As the girls rushed off, the wind howled. "Goodbye, Professor Marvel, and thanks a lot!" called Dorothy as they ran off.

"Dorothy! Jacqueline!" called Em back at the farm. She had to get into the cellar to be safe from the twister, but she still worried about the two girls, who at that moment were running into the house, unable to hear her.

"Mom!" yelled Jax.

"Auntie Em!" cried Dorothy. There was a scream. Dorothy ran to her room, and Jax lay there, unconsious.

"Jax!" cried Dorothy, as the window pane shattered, and the wood holding it hit her in the head. She collapsed beside Jax.

**Well, not yet too different from the movie, but when we get to Oz, I promise Jax will complicate things. Plus, I'll put a bit more of Toto's dislike of Dorothy's singing. Notice how he didn't enjoy "Over The Rainbow"? Oh, and just a warning, I'll try to update fast, but it's likely it'll be slower when I go back to school in three weeks. By the way, there's a poll on my profile page for which story you think I should update next-open to anyone. Anyone can vote, so vote on that, please!**


	2. Chapter 2: Losing It

**I'm ba-ack! And now we get to the good stuff-Oz!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from _The Wizard Of Oz,_ but I do own Jax.**

Jax opened her eyes, rubbing her head. When she found Dorothy lying beside her, she shook her until she woke up. They stood up and sat down on Dorothy's bed. Toto was curled up there, seemingly very happy to be there. Dorothy looked out the window.

"We must be up inside the cyclone!" she cried over the howling of the wind.

"You mean we're not on the ground anymore?" shrieked Jax. "This is getting freaky!"

Dorothy wasn't listening, as she saw figures flying outside the window. "Oh! Miss Gulch!" she cried. Jax went to the window to watch, as the figure of Miss Gulch on her bike changed. Now she wore a black cloak and black robes, a pointy hat, and rode a broomstick. Dorothy looked away in fear, as the witch-like figure let out a terrifying cackle.

The house kept flying around. Dorothy and Jax screamed, clinging to each other. Dorothy had Toto in her arms, and he barked with them.

Finally, there was a bump.

"We've landed." whispered Jax. "It's too quiet."

"I'm going to go outside." Dorothy whispered back. The girls went to the door, Toto following, and opened the door to a world of Technicolour.

"Who painted the landscape?" Jax joked, but she thought how breathtaking it really was. Dorothy felt the same way.

"Jax, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow." Dorothy said, sighing in happiness. Her song about the land over the rainbow came back to her. Toto prayed in his head that she wouldn't sing it again.

"It's beautiful." breathed Jax.

At that moment, a bubble appeared. It became pink, and grew. Finally, it popped to reveal a woman dressed in a beautiful peach dress.

"Now I know we're not in Kansas." murmured Dorothy. Jax giggled.

The woman stepped towards the girls. She addressed Jax first in a melodic high-pitched voice. "Are you a good witch, or a bad witch, or are _you_ the witch?" she asked, turning to Dorothy on the end.

"Are you crazy? I'm no witch." Jax exclaimed.

"I'm not a witch at all." Dorothy said. "I'm Dorothy Gale, from Kansas."

"And I'm Jax." added her cousin.

"Oh." the woman said, frowning. She pointed at Toto. "Well, is that the witch?"

"Toto's my dog." Dorothy answered.

The woman laughed. "Well, I'm a little confused. The munchkins called me because a new witch had just dropped a house on the Wicked Witch of the East. And there's the house, and here you are, and that's all that's left of the Wicked Witch of The East." She pointed at their house, which had two feet with sparkling red shoes on them sticking out underneath it. "And so, what the munchkins want to know is what kind of witch you are."

"We're not witches." Jax answered. "We're not even magical."

"Besides, witches are old and ugly." Dorothy added. There were giggles all around. "What was that?"  
"The munchkins." answered the woman. "They're laughing because I _am _a witch. I'm Glinda, the Witch of The North."

Jax scrutinized Glinda. "Well, you don't exactly look like the stereotypical witch, you know. Same with you, Dot?"

"Yeah." Dorothy answered. "I've never heard of a beautiful witch before."

"Only wicked witches are ugly." Glinda answered. "The munchkins are happy because you have freed them from the Wicked Witch of the East."

"But what are munchkins?" asked Dorothy. The two girls heard giggles again.

"The people that live in the land. It's Munchkinland, and you two are their national heroines, dear girls." Glinda then raised her voice. "It's all right, you can all come out and thank them." Toto sensed a musical cue, and curled up next to Dorothy.

Toto was right. Glinda began to sing "_Come out, come out, wherever you are_

_And meet the young ladies who fell from a star." _As tiny people appeared, Glinda took both girls by the hand, and led them along, still singing. "_They fell from the sky, they fell very far_

_And Kansas, they say, is the name of the star."_

"_Kansas they say is the name of the star." _echoed the Munchkins.

"Cute, aren't they," Jax giggled in a whisper to Dorothy, who was just staring around at the population.

"_They bring you good news, or haven't you heard?_

_When they fell out of Kansas, a miracle occurred."_

"I'm gonna join in-." Jax began, but Dorothy had gotten in first. Toto whined as his best friend sang again.

"_The wind began to switch, the house to pitch-"_

"_And suddenly the hinges started to unhitch." _Jax interrupted. She kept improvising the next bit. "_Just then, a witch, to satisfy her wish, went flying on her broomstick, died and won't get hitched." _Dorothy, being the incarnate of innocence, didn't understand her cousin's "adult" jokes in that song, and Glinda hadn't really noticed the words, but the Munchkins giggled, and sang their own version, which Dorothy did understand.

"_The house began to pitch, the kitchen took a switch, it landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch, which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch."_

As they started dancing, Jax seized Dorothy's hands and spun her around, singing along. Dorothy started laughing too. Glinda seemed to be practically oblivious.

Festivies went on in the form of a Thirties musical, about the witch being dead ("_Ding dong, the witch is dead, Which old witch? The wicked witch!")_. The Mayor of Munchkinland revealed that they were in a land called Oz. Toto hated the music, but when it stopped, he still wasn't exactly happy. For the reason it stopped was in the form of scarlet smoke, which cleared to reveal the type of witch that Jax and Dorothy thought of when the word came to mind. Green skin, pointed conical hat, black clothes... She even held a broomstick. The Munchkins screamed and flung themselves on the ground in the hope of not being acknowledged. The witch stared at the house, and the dead witch underneath it.

**Well, we have our antagonist now. Just for the record, I will still have some angst over the ruby slippers, just they protect both girls, as long as they're together. A warning for people who don't know of _Wicked, _some stuff from it might come in, since I loved that musical, but people who haven't seen it should still be able to follow the story.**

**Review and I'll update fast!**


	3. Chapter 3: Setting Out For It

**Wow, here I am again! Thanks for being the first reviewer, Taryn Ravensong. Oh, and I own nothing except Jax and dialogue you don't recognize. Now, what happened when the other witch found out her sister was dead?**

The stereoypical witch looked appalled and grief-filled as she saw the other witch was dead.

"I thought you said she was dead?" Dorothy quavered.

"That was her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East." Glinda explained. "This is the Wicked Witch of The West. She's worse than the other one."

The Wicked Witch was now focusing her attention on the girls. "Who killed my sister?" she demanded. "Was it one of you?"

Jax didn't want to show weakness, and she knew she had to be the one that stepped up, as her cousin wasn't exactly ready to face a green-skinned witch, wicked or not. She stepped in front of her cousin protectively and said "We didn't set out to kill anyone. It was only chance that our house fell on your sister, and we are truly sorry for it."

"Well," the witch scowled, "I do things by chance too!"

"It was real chance!" Jax answered, seemingly unfazed. "You just want someone to blame for her death!"

"Aren't you forgetting the ruby slippers?" Glinda said, before the Wicked Witch could reply. That took the attention off Jax.

"The slippers...yes." The witch walked towards the house and reached out for the shoes her sister wore, as they faded from sight.

"They're gone!" the witch exclaimed, going back to face Glinda and the girls. "The ruby slippers! What have you done with them? Give them back to me, or I'll-"

"It's too late." Glinda said calmly, pointing at Dorothy's feet. "There they are, and there they'll stay." Dorothy gasped, twisting her feet around...realizing that she now wore the sparkling red shoes-the ruby slippers.

"Give them to me!" the witch demanded, now turning her attention on the younger girl. "I'm the only one who knows how to use them. They're of no use to you. I own them now, because I'm the only family my sister had left. Give them back to me! Give them back!"

"Dorothy, hand them over!" hissed Jax. "She's right!" Dorothy didn't seem to hear, and didn't react.

"Keep them!" Glinda told Dorothy. "Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn't want them."

"You stay out of this Glinda, or I'll fix you as well!" The witch threatened.

Glinda just laughed. "You have no power here. Now, go away, before someone drops a house on you."

The witch looked at the sky for a second in fear, then her mask of anger returned. "Very well." She glared at the two girls. "As for you two, it's true I can't do exactly what I want here and now, but just try to stay out of my way. You have warning. I'll get both of you-" and here she only looked at Dorothy and Toto, who she held "-and your little dog too!" And with a burst of flame and a puff of smoke, she disappeared.

"You can get up, she's gone!" Glinda called to the Munchkins. "I'm afraid you have made an enemy of the Wicked Witch of The West." she told the two girls. "The sooner you both get out of Oz altogether, the safer you are."

"I'd give anything to get out of Oz altogether." Dorothy said nervously. "But which is the way back to Kansas?"

"It's not like we can fly back up to the...uh, 'star'." Jax added, using air quotes with the word "star" remembering that's what Glinda had called Kansas.

"No, that's true." Glinda admitted. "The only person who might know is the great and wonderful Wizard of Oz himself."

"Is he good?" Dorothy asked.

"Obviously." muttered Jax, unusually irritated.

"Very good, but very mysterious." Glinda told the girls. "He lives in the Emerald City and that's a long journey from here. Did you bring your broomsticks with you?"

"Are you implying we are witches?" Jax countered, but not too seriously. "Or worse, wicked witches? Since our newest nemesis carries a broomstick, and you travel by bubble."

"I'm assuming you didn't." laughed Glinda. "You'll have to walk."

"Where do we start?" wondered Dorothy.

Glinda gestured to a pathway that was topaz yellow. "All you have to do is follow the yellow brick road. And remember," she told Dorothy, "Never let those ruby slippers off your feet, or you will be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West." She then turned to Jax. "Stay together. The ruby slippers will protect you both from harm." She hugged each girl lightly, wishing them good luck, then stepped away.

"Wait!" cried Dorothy. "What happens if-"

"Just follow the yellow brick road." Glinda repeated. Her bubble appeared, and she floated away. The munchkins waved goodbye.

"People come and go so quickly here!" Dorothy commented. The munchkins giggled.

"Well, we'd better get going, Dot." Jax said brightly. They began to walk down the path of yellow brick. The munchkins started singing again, and Toto whined, running ahead of the girls.

"_You're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz._

_You'll find he is a whiz of a wiz, if ever a wiz there was._

_If ever, oh ever a wiz there was, the Wizard of Oz is one because_

_Because, because, because, because, because_

_Because of the wonderful things he does._

_You're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!" _Dorothy and Jax turned and waved at the Munchkins, then kept walking.

"What is with singing and Munchkins?" wondered Jax.

"It's fun?" offered Dorothy.

"Dot, it's weird." Jax said. "You don't see everyone going around singing practically everything. I think Toto agrees with me."

Toto barked in confirmation of her statement..

In the west, a green-skinned witch had locked herself away. She would never admit it, but she thought of her sister, and she missed her so much. She was at that moment, crying her eyes out. She knew that water was meant to melt her, but tears didn't do anything to her. But as she ran out of tears, she thought of the two girls responsible for her sister's death, and she grew furious, especially at the younger one-the one who had taken the ruby slippers.

"They can't bring her back." she growled. "But I'll make both of them pay, and I'll get the slippers-no matter wha it takes!"

**In case you didn't notice, I'm going to concentrate more on the death than the ruby slippers. I honestly think Dorothy is no survivor, which is why Jax needs to be with her. I'll try to be fair on her for the Dorothy fans-if any-but to tell the truth, I think she's annoying. Tune in for the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: Seeing Is Believing It

**Well, I'm back! Now we've at last got to the journey. Thanks for your review, Taryn Ravensong.**

It had been three days since the girls began on their journey to Emerald City, and had followed the road the whole time. Now they had come to a fork.

"Now which way do we go?" complained Dorothy.

"That way is a very nice way." The voice hadn't come from Jax. Both girls looked around. Toto barked at the nearest cornfield.

"Maybe there's a farmer there that spoke." Jax suggested, then sighed. "Nah, they wouldn't talk like that. The only other thing that could have talked is..."

Toto barked again, looking straight ahead, at a scarecrow standing there.

"Don't be silly, Toto." Dorothy sighed. "Scarecrows don't talk."

"It's pleasant down that way too." the voice said. The girls looked up to see the scarecrow seemed to be pointing a different way from before.

"This isn't funny." Jax called. "Who's trying to mess with our minds?"

"Of course, people do go both ways." This time, Dorothy spotted the scarecrow actually moving to point.

"Uh, Jax." whispered the younger girl. "It is the scarecrow, I think." The scarecrow evidently overheard her loud whisper, since he shook his head, then nodded.

"Are you doing that on purpose, or can't you make up your mind?" Dorothy inquired.

"That's the trouble." the scarecrow answered. "I can't make up my mind. I haven't got a brain. Only straw."

"You don't have a mind to make up." Jax corrected him.

"See?" the scarecrow said. "She has a brain, because she can correct me."

"How can you talk if you haven't got a brain, though?" Dorothy challenged.

"I don't know." the scarecrow answered.

"Of course you don't." Jax muttered.

"But some people without brains do talk, don't they?"

"'Is better to be wise and remain silent than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.'" Jax quoted.

Dorothy recognized the quote from a _Simpsons _episode she'd watched part of. Em didn't approve of it, and Jax had to sneak around trying to see it when she felt like it. Dorothy was outside more often, but she'd seen part of the episode where the family was trying to get Maggie to talk, and Lisa had said that.

"What does that mean, better say something or they'll think you're stupid." Dorothy quoted back, after thinking this over.

"Uh, Dot?" Jax said. "I said that ages ago. I've already introduced us and now I'm trying to help Scarecrow here down from the pole. He won't tell me his real name."

"That's cause I don't really have one." Scarecrow admitted. "Or if I do, I don't know it."

"Of course you don't." Jax muttered again, and right at that moment, Scarecrow slipped off the pole, some straw falling out of him.

He laughed, putting it back into his clothes. "There goes some of me again!"

"Does it hurt you?" Dorothy asked anxiously.

"Oh, no, I just keep picking it up and putting it back in again. My, it's good to be free!"

Once he got out of the field, the brainless conversation came up again.

"What would you do with a brain if you had one?"

"Do?" asked Scarecrow. "If I had a brain I could..." he began singing. "_I could while away the hours, conferring with the flowers, consulting with the rain,_

_And my head I'd be scratching while my thoughts were busy hatching if I only had a brain."_

The song went on, Toto trying to cover his cute floppy ears with his paws the whole time. After Scarecrow had finished his dance sequence, he slipped and Dorothy ran to him, thinking he was hurt. Jax just stood back, knowing that he was unhurt.

"Wow!" breathed Dorothy. "If the scarecrows back in Kansas could do that, the crows would be terrified."

"They would?" Scarecrow asked. Then, "Where's Kansas."

"It's a state in the middle of the United States-" Jax began.

"Where we live." finished Dorothy. "We're going all the way to Emerald City to get the Wizard of Oz to help us get home."

Scarecrow had a thoughtful look on his face. "You're going to see a wizard? Do you think if I came, this wizard could give me some brains? Would he?"

"Maybe." Jax answered. "But those who don't try, never succeed. But then again-" she sang a song line she remembered- "_Those who don't try, never look foolish. _Still, you can stick around and stay brainless, or come."

"But maybe you'd better not." Dorothy said. "There's a witch mad at us and you might get dragged into it too."

"I'm not afraid of a witch!" Scarecrow scoffed. "I'm not scared of anything...except fire." The girls nodded. "But I'd face the possibility of getting burned for the chance of brains."

The two girls were silent. Jax considered the risks and difficulties of taking someone with them. She already had to look after her cousin. She wasn't sure she'd want a scarecrow, and a brainless one, at that, tagging along.

"I won't be any trouble." Scarecrow promised. "I don't even have to eat. I won't try to manage things, because I know I'll mess anything like that up. Please let me come with you."

Before Jax could think more about it, Dorothy said quickly "Of course we will." Jax tossed her an annoyed glance, but she couldn't take it back. Besides, now she thought about it, it might even be helpful to have someone else with them.

Scarecrow seemed happy, anyway. "We're off to see a wizard!" he cheered, then starting to slip.

"You're not starting off very well." Dorothy stated, struggling to help him up.

"Oh, I'll try. Really I will." Scarecrow promised. The girls stood either side of him and linked arms so he wouldn't keep slipping. He was very light, being made of straw, anyway.

The trio headed down the path straight ahead, the girls singing the Munchkin's song about them going to see the wizard. Jax was the one leading the other two, mainly, and the path she chose was the one they took. It just happened to be ahead.

The group strode off, still following the pathway of yellow brick.

**Well, companion number one. Right now I'm wishing Dorothy had some personality trait that would make me like her more. _Wicked _fanfiction really makes her look bad! Review and tell me if I should do any pairings. I've already decided to set Jax at least up with someone. I need help for if I should do any others, and who Jax will be with.**


	5. Chapter 5: Recognizing It

**OK, I'm back, and here's my next chapter, so enjoy! Oh yeah, and I own nothing from _The Wizard Of Oz. _If I did, I'd actually send this version to a publisher. Alas, I wasn't around when the movie was made or book was written. Thanks for your review, (). I'll try your idea out.**

Days passed. There were no more forks in the road, and the yellow brick road didn't disappear. So far the path they'd chosen seemed to be the right one.

After about a week since the girls had found themselves in Oz, they reached a bunch of apple trees. Dorothy didn't think, she just went to pick one. The bough snatched away the apple and slapped her hand away, making her cry out.

"What do you think you're doing?" the tree demanded.

"We were walking a long way, and I was starving-did you _say _something?" Dorothy said in amazement.

"How would you like to have someone come along and pick something off of you?" the tree snapped.

"Awkward." Jax murmured.

Scarecrow stepped in. "Come on, Dorothy, you don't want any of _those _apples. Jax, you wouldn't want them either, would you?"

"Are you hinting my apples aren't good enough?" the tree accused.

"Oh, no." Scarecrow said slyly. "It's just that none of us like worms."

"What the hell?" shrieked Jax, as the tree made a grab for Dorothy, who escaped just in the nick of time.

"I'll show you how to get apples." whispered Scarecrow to the girls, who pulled a face at the trees, causing them to throw apples at them.

Jax began to laugh, understanding the method of getting apples straightaway.

"I guess that did it." Scaregrow grinned. Dorothy began to collect the apples. As she found one that rolled further away than the others, she found something metallic. She slowly got up, and found that it was a tin-made person.

"Dot, what are you doing?" called Jax.

"Over here!" her cousin answered. Jax and Scarecrow joined her, just as the tin man squeaked something.

"Did you say something?" Dorothy asked. It-he-squeaked again. Dorothy could make out the words.

"He said 'oil can'."

Jax glanced around, to see the oil can was on a stump nearby. "Hey, it's over here." she handed it to Dorothy, who oiled the metal man, mouth first.

"I can talk again!" he said, sounding pleased, but quite shy. "Oil the rest of me, please." Dorothy complied, as the other two helped him get used to moving around after being rusted for so long. As they heard his story, apparently he'd been like that for around a year.

"You're perfect now." Dorothy said, after she finished oiling him.

"Perfect?" the Tin Man said. (Jax had asked his name, but, like Scarecrow, he hadn't answered properly.) "Bang on my chest if you think I'm perfect."

Jax giggled. "You're not serious? Or do you mean literally?" Dorothy knocked on the metallic tin man, fairly shyly. After all, they'd just met.

The sound echoed through the tin.

"It's empty." Tin Man sighed. "I have no heart. I'm completely hollow."

Toto sensed another musical cue, and got ready. However, the rest of the group admired Tinman's dance and musical skills.

"Why doesn't he come with us? The Wizard could get him a heart." Dorothy whispered to Scarecrow.

"Whatever." Scarecrow whispered back.

"Let me in on the secret." Jax hissed. Dorothy whispered her idea to Jax, who nodded.

When the Tinman had finished his number, the group asked him along to ask the Wizard for a heart.

"He's sure to help us once we've told him why we want what we want."

"Yeah, me and Dot want to get home." said Jax.

"Besides, we've come such a long way." Dorothy added.

There was a demonic screechy laugh coming from the shed standing near the trees. The four looked up to see the Wicked Witch looking down at them.

"You call that long?" she called to them. "Why, you've just begun!" She focused on the Scarecrow and the Tinman. "Helping the little ladies along, are you? Or is it a double date? Stay away from those girls, or I'll stuff a mattress with you!" She was speaking to Scarecrow, but didn't seem very enthusiastic about what she was saying. "And you!" she focused on the Tinman. "I'll melt you down and reshape you into armour! Here, wanna play ball?" and with that, she disappeared, leaving a fireball that Tinman had to subdue.

"Double date." Jax scoffed quietly but angrily. She tried to hide the fact that she was blushing. Sure, she'd flirted with the cute farmhands at home, but she'd never dated. Chance of dating would mean sneaking out of the house, and she'd been caught every time. Her parents treated her and Dorothy like little girls. Dorothy was still too young to want to rebel, but Jax hated it.

Suddenly, she realized the others were talking.

"I'm not afraid of her." Scarecrow said fiercely. "I'll make sure both of you get to the Wizard now, brain or no brain. Stuff a mattress with me!"

"I feel the same way." Tinman said. "I'll see that you definitely get to the Wizard, no matter whether I get a heart or not. Melt and reshape me! Let her just try!"

"Oh, you are the best friends anyone ever had." gushed Dorothy. "It's strange, but it feels as if I've known you before now, but it's impossible."

Jax had kept quiet about it, but she had had a strange feeling of recognition too, as if she knew them, or someone like them.

"Anyway, we better get going to Emerald City." she said quickly, and the four of them walked off together.

**Sorry about the length of this chapter, but I'm kind of tired. Keep reviewing, everyone! Your reviews make me update! And keep giving me suggestions about the pairings-although I have already got a partner in mind for Jax. You'll notice in later chapters.**


	6. Chapter 6: Befriending It

**Here again! The disclaimer is still in effect, sadly. On with the chapter! And thanks for your reviews, Taryn Ravensong and Sunrise19. Oh, and by the way, Wicked fans, the Scarecrow in this universe is NOT Fiyero, so sorry, Fiyeraba is impossible.**

Things got easier when they had two members of the group who didn't need to sleep or eat. Jax and Dorothy still got tired, but occasionally the guys each picked up one of the girls and walked on for a bit, so the journey to Emerald City wouldn't take so long. Jax would never admit it, but she couldn't help liking it when she awoke to straw arms holding her. She liked to tell herself it was because it was softer than the ground, or tin when Scarecrow had Dorothy and Tin Man had herself. Speaking of Dorothy, she didn't even think anything of the new arrangement and just slept as she usually did.

Three days went by, and they reached a dark forest.

"This forest is so dark and creepy." Dorothy said, her voice shaking.

"Yes, Sherlock." Jax said lightly. "What's the mystery like this time?" Neither girl had a clue about the Sherlock Holmes' stories or info on his sidekick Watson. But Dorothy couldn't resist a quote she knew, even though she didn't understand it.

"Elementary, my dear Watson." she said in an English accent. Both girls burst out laughing as Toto, Scarecrow and Tinman gave them weird looks.

Jax grinned at her cousin. "Dot, I swear you weren't always like this. You seem to be growing up here."

Dorothy looked mock shocked. "But I'm not even a teenager!" Jax burst out laughing again and her cousin joined her.

"Can we get on with the journey, please?" Tinman interrupted them, sounding annoyed. To tell the truth, he really didn't mind much, but he wanted his heart so. In fact, he was endeared to Jax's crazy sense of humour, that already seemed to have grown in her cousin, who he also sincerely liked.

"The yellow brick road goes through here, anyway." Scarecrow said. "We have to go through here."

"Are there any creatures in here?" Jax asked, not scared but more fascinated.

"Some." Tinman said. "Mostly lions and tigers and bears."

Jax gave a little squeal out of nowhere. "Uh oh...I sense a cliché quote."

She was right. As the quartet walked in, they all began to chant "_Lions and tigers and bears."_

"Oh no." Dorothy would add in at first, but early swapped to "_Oh my_!"

When Jax questioned her later, she replied "I thought 'oh my' sounded better than 'oh no'.

The group walked through the woods, chanting the words over and over. Then a roar ripped through the forest, making the girls scream and all four hide. Dorothy found a tree she and Toto hid behind, and Tinman and Scarecrow collapsed on the side. Poor Jax couldn't find a hiding place at the time, and stood there helplessly, as a lion bounded in front of her. She didn't make eye contact and tried to stand confidently.

Suddenly, the lion spoke. He didn't seem to notice Jax and adressed the two guys. "Put 'em up, put 'em up! Which one of you first? I'll fight you both together if you want. I'll fight you with one paw tied behind my back. I'll fight you standing on one foot. I'll fight you with my eyes closed." Jax took a step back as he turned to Tinman. "Oh, pulling an axe on me, eh?" the lion said, looking at the axe he had with him. Then to Scarecrow; "Sneaking up on me, eh?"

Tinman finally found his voice. "Go away and leave us alone!" he said shakily.

"Oh, scared, huh?" the lion teased. "How long can you stay fresh in that can?" He laughed. "Get up and fight, you junkyard, and you lopsided bag of hay!"

"Now that's getting personal!" Scarecrow said.

"Yes, get up and teach him a lesson." challenged Tinman.

"You're already standing, Jax." Scarecrow said. "You do it."

"Yeah, why don't you fight me, little girl." the lion challenged.

Jax smiled. The lion didn't seem that threatening now he was only saying stuff, waiting for someone else to start a fight with him. "Let's get going, everyone." she said. No one moved, until Jax started walking along by herself.

"Well, I'll just get you, then." the lion snarled, going after Jax. Dorothy, out of loyalty for her cousin, stepped in front of her cousin, Toto following and slapped the lion on the nose. "How dare you!" she snapped furiously.

To her surprise, the lion didn't move. He burst into tears. "What did you do that for?" he wept. "I didn't hurt her!"

"But you tried to!" Jax said. "It's bad enough picking on anyone-"

"But no one picks on my cousin!" Dorothy finished.

"And no one picks on mine!" Jax added. The girls slung an arm around each other's shoulders.

"Well, you didn't have to go and hit me, did ya?" the lion sobbed. "Is my nose bleeding?"

Dorothy gave an exasperated sigh at the lion's sensitivity. "Of course not! You're making a big deal out of nothing. You're just a coward!"

Surprisingly, the lion agreed with this. "I have no courage. I'm scared of everything. Look at the circles under my eyes. I can't sleep because I'm scared!"

"What, you're scared of counting sheep?" Jax teased.

"Don't rub it in, please!" The lion begged.

Jax was speechless for a moment, but quickly found her voice again. "Got a name, then?"

"No."

"Um. Well. Anyway, wanna come with us? We're going to see the Wizard of Oz, to get me and Dot home."

"And to get him a heart." Dorothy pointed to Tinman.

"And him a brain." Tinman, in turn, motioned to Scarecrow.

"He could give you some courage." Dorothy offered.

"I'd love to. But...wouldn't you feel degraded to be around a cowardly lion?" Lion asked shakily. "_I_ would!"

Jax grinned. "Oh, shut up! The sooner you get courage, the sooner we won't have to be." The five linked arms, from right to left: Tinman, Dorothy, Lion, Scarecrow, Jax-as Lion began to explain in song that he could be "_a lion, not a mouse if I only had the nerve." _Toto followed at a distance, trying not to listen to the Lion's song.

As the group walked through the forest, they progressed a little slower, having three people who had to sleep (Lion wasn't so scared with four people around him), but since Lion awoke early, the girls often got an extra hour while the guys walked for some time, carrying them.

Meanwhile, the Witch hadn't given up on the two girls. She watched them in her crystal ball. "So, the brainless mattress and empty can won't take warning, huh? It'll just be worse for them." She got out one of her potions. "Now, let me see. My weapon can be poison. Easy and effective. I'll just mask it with...a field of poppies. That'll halt them easily."

**And...cut! Well, as you have probably guessed, the poppy scene is up next! I don't know why, but I remember it word for word. I wish I could skip to the climax, but I still need to set up a few things!**


	7. Chapter 7: Finding It

**Here's the long-awaited...poppy scene!**

**SunRise19: Kind of. I've kind of twisted the _Wicked _and _Wizard Of Oz _universe together, but to make my story work, some of the _Wicked _logic may seem strange. Thanks for your review.**

After three days in the forest, the group travelling got out of the forest. Dorothy was the first to spot the glittering metropolis up ahead. "Look!" the twelve-year-old cried.

The other four gasped at the beautiful architechture.

"If that's not Emerald City, it's fata morgana." Jax whispered.

"_Fata morgana_?" the Scarecrow inquired. Jax shoved him playfully.

"It's a mirage, stupid." she explained. Throughout the journey, Jax and Scarecrow had become more close than anyone in the group. They were both careless, playful people who liked to glide through life. They teased each other a lot, and Jax was the only one in the group who could get away with teasing Scarecrow about his brain, or lack thereof. Scarecrow was the only one who could make Jax fall over laughing. Nearly everything made her giggle, but when Scarecrow tried making a joke, it really made her laugh for about five minutes before she calmed down. Dorothy felt a bit jealous of their friendship, as Jax had been her best friend growing up. She felt jealous now.

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's run!" she said quickly. The group followed her through the field of poppies. Scarecrow and Tinman were the fastest, followed by Lion, and then Dorothy and Toto. Jax wore kitten heels, so she couldn't run very fast at all. Although the ruby slippers had heels, the magical properties of them seemed to help Dorothy run as fast as she usually could.

By the time they were halfway, they stopped. The poison in the poppies the Witch had sent were beginning to take effect. Scarecrow and Tinman couldn't tell, as they were supposed to be inanimate objects, but Lion was beginning to slow down, Toto was slipping to one side, Jax had to force her eyes to stay open and everything was fuzzy to Dorothy.

"What's happening?" she murmured as Toto dropped down, too tired to fight the poison anymore. "I can't run anymore. Can I just nap here for a moment?"

"Can someone _please _carry me?" Jax asked as she caught up. "Apart from these stupid heels, sleep deprivation has finally caught up with me."

Dorothy had already lain down next to Toto in the poppies, but Scarecrow didn't hesitate to pick up Jax.

Lion soon dropped down in the field too. Jax let her eyes close as Tinman and Scarecrow panicked.

Tinman tried to pick up Dorothy, but he couldn't move her.

"I can't make her budge!" he cried.

"This is definitely a spell." Scarecrow added.

"It's the Wicked Witch!" Tinman realized, before starting to call for help.

Up in the north, Glinda reclined on one of her sofas. _I wish my best friend was with me, _she sighed inwardly. Suddenly, she heard faint calls for help in her mind, and saw the girls who possessed the ruby slippers and a few others, lying drugged asleep in the poppy field that had just magically sprung up near Emerald City.

"It's time I intervened." she decided. She waved her wand and commanded a snowstorm antidote.

"It's snowing!" shrieked Scarecrow. "Maybe it'll help! Oh, it couldn't help!" But as he spoke, Dorothy stirred. Lion and Toto stood, and everyone seemed ready to go on the journey again, except Jax, who was still asleep.

"Jax!" Dorothy cried, shaking her cousin, who Scarecrow was still holding. Jax opened her eyes and winked at Dorothy, before making a point of closing her eyes again.

It was then when the naïve younger girl realized why Jax was pretending to be asleep. "In my opinion, she just wants you to carry her or something." she told Scarecrow.

Scarecrow shrugged. "Hey, she doesn't have to pretend she's asleep. She could just ask."

Jax giggled and opened her eyes. "Could you then, please?" she asked, widening her eyes.

Scarecrow laughed too. "Whatever, you tease."

"You can drop me once we get out of the poppy field." Jax promised.

The Wicked Witch watched this in her crystal ball, cursing and taking away the poppies. "Someone always helps those girls! But shoes or no shoes, I'm powerful enough to avenge my sister's death. For the little girl, I'll take the ruby slippers and go from there. I can tell the older one just needs a bit of alone time from her little boyfriend." She referred to the Scarecrow, seeing the way Jax seemed to flirt with him. The Witch perched on her broom and ordered it "To the Emerald City-and fast!"

Finally, the group reached the yellow brick road past the poppy field. Scarecrow carefully set Jax down, and the group began to skip their way up to the dazzling green buildings of the Emerald City.

They all linked arms as they usually did, and didn't let go until they got to the gates of the city, where Dorothy pulled firmly on the bell.

A little window on the door opened and a small man dressed in green appeared. "Who rang that bell?"  
"We did." chorused the group.

"Can't you read?"  
"Read what?"

"The notice!"

"What notice?"

"It's on the door, as plain as the nose on my face!" cried the man. In fact, there was no notice. When he realized this, he disappeared after putting a notice on the door.

"Bell out of order." read Jax. "Please knock." She scoffed, annoyed as Dorothy knocked, and the man let them state why they wanted in.

"We wanna see the Wizard." they said.

"The Wizard!" cried the man. "But nobody can see the great Oz! Nobody's ever seen the great Oz! Even I haven't seen him!"

Jax smirked. "If no one's seen him, how do you know he exists?"

"Because-he..well," the man stuttered. "You're wasting my time!"

Just before he shut the window on them, Dorothy interrupted. "Please, we've got to see the Wizard. The Good Witch of the North sent me."

"Prove it!" challenged the man.

It was Scarecrow who answered him. "She's wearing the ruby slippers she gave her."

The man looked down at the sparkling shoes that had appeared on Dorothy's feet back in Munchkinland. At that moment, he decided to let them in.

"This is Emerald City all right." grinned Jax, looking around.

**I'm ending it here. Promise we'll get the Wizard next, and then...the master plan of the Wicked Witch.**


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting It

**OK, I'm back with the next installment. So enjoy-oh, and I own nothing but Jax and this story.**

First, the group was taken to a place called _Wash and Brush-Up Co._ There, that was exactly what they had. Scarecrow was restuffed, Tinman was polished, Lion had a manicure, and the girls were given a beauty treatment and were given fashionable clothes. Dorothy was given mostly makeup that looked natural. She was too innocent-looking to wear any more. Her childish curly brunette pigtails were freed and a blue bow was added, to match a new dress, twin to the one she wore before, with blue and white checks.

Jax had more makeup than her cousin, but she got to wear skinny dark blue jeans and a T-shirt with the same pattern as Dorothy's dress.

When the group came back together, they all looked great. Although, Jax didn't notice that Scarecrow watched her for a little longer than everyone else.

Then the sky darkened. Curls of black smoke appeared in the sky, and everyone stopped and stared, in horror. Even from there, the group could hear the cackling from the source.

"Who's her? Who's her?" the Lion demanded fearfully.

"It's the Witch." Dorothy's voice trembled as she spoke. "She's followed us here."

The smoke that followed the Wicked Witch was starting to form words.

"What's she skywriting?" Jax wondered out loud. "_Surrender...Dorothy...and...Jax...or..." _she gasped. "Dot, it's us! She's threatening to kill us!" Her eyes narrowed. "How does she know our names? It's not like she got to hear them, unless she's spying on us all the time."

Another cackle sounded through the air, and Jax just barely caught the words before the witch flew off. "Correct, sister-murdering shoe stealer's cousin!"

Jax glared up at her, more angry than any of the others, even Dorothy, had seen her. "_It wasn't our fault!" _she screamed after the Witch. Then she turned to the others, and said calmly "Come on, we better try and see the Wizard."

The other four looked at each other and followed. But when they told the guard at the door of the Wizard's chambers, he answered "Nobody sees the Great Oz! Not nobody, not no how!"

Jax seemed back to normal, and started giggling at the way he spoke, which set Dorothy off.

"But she's Dorothy, and she's Jax!" Scarecrow spoke up, thinking of the message from the Witch.

"The Witch's Dorothy and Jax?" the guard gasped. "Well, I'll announce you straight away." And with that, he walked through the doors to announce them.

"I can't believe this is really happening!" Jax squealed.  
"We'll be home so soon!" Dorothy added.

At this point, the Lion decided to do a little musical number about what he'd do if he was king of the forest, finishing with "_What have they got that I ain't got?"_ He was talking about other animals that would rule the forest. The rest of the group knew the answer, since the Lion had already stressed it.

"Courage." they chorused.

The Lion grinned, not taking offense. "You can say that again."

On perfect timing, the guard opened the door again. "The Wizard says go away!" He slammed the door.

Dorothy started crying and Jax automatically put an arm around her. "I never appreciated my life before." Dorothy wept. "I never appreciated how kind Auntie Em was to me either. Professor Marvel told me she might be dying."

Little did the group realize that the guard was still watching. They only realized when they heard him sniffle. "Don't worry." he said. "I'll get you inside somehow. I once had an auntie too."

The group began to walk down the hall to the Wizard's room. While all of them were nervous, Lion was petrified and kept trying to go back.

"I don't really wanna see the Wizard this much. I'd better wait for you outside." he protested. Dorothy pulled him back.

"Here we go again." sighed Jax. "The reason you're going to see the Wizard is to stop being like this."

"I'm too scared to ask him." trembled Lion.

"We'll ask him for you." Dorothy assured him.

"I'd prefer to wait outside." The group had to link arms with him firmly to stop him leaving. Suddenly, as they walked, the Lion gave another cry.

"Somebody pulled my tail!" he sobbed. He was holding his tail.

"You did it yourself!" Tinman hissed.

"Come forward!" an ominous voice called from the room.

"Tell me when it's over!" cried Lion, hiding his eyes as they reached the room. Finally, they faced a floating head with coloured smoke all around it.

"I am Oz!" the head announced. "The great and powerful. Who are you?" No one moved. "Who are you?"

The group pushed Jax forward. She met the eyes of the head. "Jacqueline Gale-Jax. We came to you for help. We-"

"Silence!" the voice ordered. "The great and powerful Oz knows why you have come. Step forward, Tinman!"

Tinman obeyed, his metallic joints clinking as he trembled.

"You dare to come to me for a heart, do you? You clinking, clattering collection of junk. And you, Scarecrow." Scarecrow stepped forward. "You have the effrontery to ask me for a brain."

"Effrontery?" Jax whispered to Dorothy. "What decade is he living in? Furthermore, when does he get to the point and say whether he'll help us or not?" Dorothy would have laughed had she been in a less intimidating situation, but the young girl was too scared to giggle now.

"Now you, Lion!" the Wizard shouted. "Well?"

The Lion fainted dead away.

Jax glared up at the Wizard. "Why do you have to try and scare everyone?" she asked.

"Silence!" the Wizard demanded. "I have every intention of granting your requests. But first, you must perform a very small task."

"Huh, what'd he say? What'd he say?" Lion asked, standing.

"First, bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the West, and I'll grant your requests. Now go."

Jax muttered a curse as the Lion quavered "But what if she kills us?"

"I said _go_!"

The Lion began to freak as he ran right down the hall and dived through the glass of the door, terrified but still unharmed.

The rest of the group followed. It was Jax who voiced what they were all thinking. "We are so screwed."

**Great! This is done! Now we can get to the main scene with the Witch!**


	9. Chapter 9: Captured By It

**Here we are, up to my favourite scene.**

The five friends reached the land of the Winkies, where the Witch lived. There was a signpost with a note.

"_I'd turn back if I were you." _the Lion read. He nodded and tried to turn back. The group pulled him forward.

"Stupid Wizard." muttered Jax. "Making us go on a life-threatening mission." She looked at the rest of the group. "Listen, maybe Lion's right. We might die if we do this. What's better, life without what we want from the Wizard, or death? After all, Oz is a pretty cool place to live."

"No!" cried Dorothy. "We have to do this. I want to get home so."

Scarecrow gave Jax a reassuring smile. "We can do this, Jax. Then we'll go back to the Wizard, and he'll give us what we want."

Little did they know, the Witch was watching them from her crystal ball. She spoke to her army of flying monkeys. "Fly down there and bring me the girls and the dog. Do as you like with the others but I want them both alive. Take extra care with the ruby slippers. I want those intact." The monkeys nodded at her orders and flew out.

Jax had barely heard Scarecrow's reasurrance. She was staring into the sky. "What...the...hell are those?"

Dorothy gave a scream when she saw the strange things swooping from the sky. "Oh no!"

"Oh, wow!" shrieked Jax. "They're flying monkeys! But...RUN!" After the interest had faded, Jax knew that they were after them. Unfortunately, they were chasing both her and Dorothy, and Jax still wore the kitten heels. Two monkeys easily caught up with her and flew her into the sky. She could hear her cousin screaming as two monkeys got her as well. One more picked up Toto.

Jax gave one more scream as she watched the guys on the ground. Scarecrow had been torn apart, but the other two seemed OK.

The two girls stood in the room, facing the Wicked Witch. The flying monkeys had brought them into a room full of magic stuff, where the Witch was waiting. She'd just entrusted Toto to the monkeys, and Dorothy's face was already tear-stained.

"What are you going to do to my dog?" she demanded. "Give him back!"

"All in good time." the Witch said calmly. "When you give me the slippers."

"Screw what Glinda said." Jax whispered to Dorothy. "Take the shoes off now."

"Shut up!" snapped the Witch. "Hand them over." she ordered Dorothy. "Or I'll get your dog drowned."

"No!" cried Dorothy. "You can have the slippers, just give back Toto!"

"That's a good little girl." the Witch purred as she reached for the shoes. "I knew you'd see reason-"

But as her hand was only an inch from the shoes, fire appeared and she screamed as her green hand burned.

"I didn't do it!" cried Dorothy. "Can I still have my dog?"

"No! I should have remembered! Those slippers will never come off as long as you live." the Witch scowled. Her expression became thoughtful. "Well, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I need to do it delicately for her, at least. I don't want to lose the magic."

As she spoke, Toto got away from the monkey. Jax hid a smile, but Dorothy called "Run, Toto, run!"

"Catch him!" the Witch ordered the flying monkeys, but Toto was too quick for them.

Dorothy was still scared, but she managed to be happy for Toto's escape. "I'm glad he got away." she smiled a little.

"It's more than you will do!" snarled the Witch. She picked up an hourglass with blood red sand and turned it over. "When that sand runs out, I'll be back." she told the girls. "It's the rest of your lives. And it isn't very long at all."

Just as she turned to leave, Jax spoke. "Why can't you accept that all the crap that happened isn't our fault? We got caught in a tornado which caused our house to fall on your sister, and the shoes appeared on Dot's feet. She didn't steal them! I have a suspicion that it was something to do with Glinda."

"Well, your little cousin didn't exactly try to take them off, did she?" the Witch retorted. "Just because it isn't your fault it doesn't mean my sister isn't dead! I loved her."

"Dot is like_ my_ little sister!" Jax answered. "I feel that way about her. If you kill her, I'll be as furious as you are now. In fact, if it happens, I'd try to kill you!"

"Number one: It would be a good thing if you know of the loss I've gone through." answered the Witch. "Number two: You can't kill me. I'm the only one with magic here. Lastly, you're-" She gave an annoyed sigh. "This conversation is pointless. I'm going. Enjoy your last moments in life." With those last words, she stalked out of the room and locked it. Already the hourglass was only half full.

Tinman and Lion had finished putting Scarecrow together after the flying monkeys had ripped him apart. They immediately saw Toto running up.

"Where's Jax and Dorothy, Toto?" Scarecrow asked him. Toto seemed to understand, as he began to retrace his steps. A few feet away, he stopped to look at the guys. They followed him along the rocks that were all around the dark sinister castle.

"I hate to think of those girls in there." murmured Tinman, nearly in tears.

"Don't cry!" hissed Scarecrow. "We haven't got the oil can with us."

Lion pointed at the Winkie guards. "Who's them?"

"_All we own, we owe." _The guards were chanting over and over.

In the topmost room, the two cousins were becoming more and more depressed. Well, Dorothy was more scared and crying. Jax seemed to have lost all of her fiesty side and just sat against the wall, rocking back and forth, with her knees drawn up to her chin.

"I'm frightened." wept Dorothy. "I'm only twelve! I can't cope with this!"

"Don't bother saying that stuff." Jax said in a low voice. "There's nothing that can help now. I guess there's just one more thing I have to do now." She suddenly stood up and went to the window. She yelled out into the dark "Mom, Dad! I hope you get this message! I've always loved you and I'm sorry for the things I've done you didn't like! To all my friends; you are absolutely fabulous! Rock on! A special message to the three friends we've made here in Oz. You all have what you are looking for, you know! I never thought I'd be able to tell you this..." Jax's voice trailed off.

"Jax?" whispered Dorothy.

"I can't say it." whispered the older girl. "You would have noticed, though. I love..."

"Our friends?" Dorothy scanned through their journey, trying to remember who Jax was connecting to most of all. Finally, it clicked. "It's Scarecrow, isn't it?" the younger girl asked.

"And now I'll never see him again." Jax murmured. Dorothy wrapped her arms around her older cousin, knowing her support was all they had. Besides, Dorothy was feeling a bitter longing that she didn't understand, for their supposedly heartless friend.

Little did Jax know, that her feelings were reciprocated. Scarecrow was thinking mainly about Jax as he tried to think of a rescue plan, but of course the teenager wasn't his only concern. He, like all the other companions, cared for both girls as a friend too, and he was just as worried about Dorothy.

Suddenly, a lightbulb hit him. "I've got a plan!" he said.

"He's got a plan." Lion repeated, smiling.  
"And you're gonna lead us."

"Huh?" Lion glanced at the guards fearfully. Finally, he looked at his two friends with a determined look in his eyes. "Alright. I'll go in there for the girls, Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch. Guards or no guards, I'll tear 'em apart. There's just one thing I want you guys to do...talk me out of it." Tinman and Scarecrow pushed him forward before he could try to turn back.

After a huge fight, the trio managed to pose as guards with disguises and get into the castle, Toto following. They broke off from the line and Toto led them to the door of the room.

**I'll end it here. The conclusion of the antagonist of this tale coming soon!**

**I know people are reading this! Please could you review as well?**


	10. Chapter 10: Rescued From It

**I'm back, and get ready for the triumph of the group. Thanks for my first reviews in three chapters, wickaholic and MysticKizzy. You give me hope that people actually read this!**

The hourglass was nearly empty. Jax didn't show it, but she was terrified. However, her cover-up was hopelessness. Dorothy didn't even bother to cover her fear.

Suddenly, they heard voices outside. "Dorothy! Jax, are you there?"

"Are you guys OK?"

"It's us!"

Dorothy flew to the door, hearing the companions. "Yes, it's us! She locked us in!"

Tinman began to smash at the door with his axe.

"Look out!" Jax called. "The hourglass is nearly empty! She'll be here any second!"

Just as the last centimetre of crimson sand in the hourglass began to drain, the door flew open. Dorothy picked up Toto as each girl quickly hugged each of the guys.

"Rescue mission accomplished." giggled Jax. "Now let's go." The others had disposed of their disguises, and all five ran to the door, arms linked so no one would be lost. But just as they reached the door, it swung shut and a cackle could be heard.

"Going so soon?" the Wicked Witch taunted from above. "I wouldn't hear of it. My little party is just beginning."

"Don't you dare hurt any of us!" Jax said fiercely as the Winkie guards cornered them. Scarecrow was staring at the chandlier above the guards. He snatched Tinman's axe and cut the rope holding it up. It took the guards by surprise, and the group managed to sneak off. But alas for them, the castle was a circular maze, and soon they were cornered again.

The Wicked Witch came forward with her broom. "Thought you were smart, huh? Well, I'll have the last laugh. The last to go will have the pleasure of seeing her friends and cousin go. Her little dog, too!"

Jax stepped in front of her cousin. "You hurt any of my friends or Dot and I swear I'll kill you."

The Witch only smirked. "Maybe you should go first."

Scarecrow was the one to step in front of the teenager. "You're not getting near her-or any of the others."

The Witch didn't need to speak as she lit her broom with a candle and then lit Scarecrow with it. He began to scream.

Dorothy was the one to see the bucket of water. She gave it to Jax, who was standing near enough to throw it on Scarecrow.

"How dare you!" shrieked the Witch. "You know that sooner or later you won't be able to evade me, so you don't even need to try."

Jax sighed and stepped forward. "Listen." she said to the Witch. "Would you be interested in a trade?"

"Why should I accept a trade when I could have all?"

"Just hear me out. Have you thought about what you're doing? Do you really want to be the Wicked Witch of The West, terrorizing tweens and teens and their best friends and crushes?" Jax persisted. "I know I wouldn't. Why?"

Jax didn't really expect her question to help much, so it was a surprise when the Witch stopped, and stared. "What is the trade?" she asked quietly, without the darkness everyone was used to in her voice.

Jax stepped forward bravely. "You give the rest of the group your broomstick, and I stay. We need it or Dot and I can't get home, and we won't get what we want most."

"What about this?" the Witch replied. "I get you AND your cousin, and the rest of you can go. I'll even throw in one of my broomsticks, just to show that I am reasonable."

"You're not!" cried Tinman. "Whose fault was it I became tin and lost my heart? Yours!"

"Correct on the first count, incorrect on the second." the Witch snapped. "Regardless of what my sister told you, I didn't lose you your heart, it was a spell that _she _cast that she meant for your heart to be hers."

"What about the Lion?" Tinman countered. "He wouldn't be a coward if you had let him fight his own battles when he was a cub!"

This information was shocking to everyone else. Dorothy was frozen to the spot. Jax just stared. Finally, she began to speak. "Stop it!" she said. "Why can't you let us go? Dot, you try taking off the shoes at least."

Dorothy looked reluctant to give up the sparkly shoes, but she tugged at one cautiously. It came off! Dorothy handed both shoes to Jax, who gave them to the Witch. "I'm sorry for all the trouble we caused. Please let us go."

The Witch stared at the slippers for a moment. Then she spoke to the Winkie guards. "Fall back. Let them go."

Jax stepped forward again. "May we please have one of the broomsticks you have?"

The Witch didn't look very happy, but she handed the girl the broomstick she held. "If that's what it takes you to get out of Oz, it amounts to being a good thing for both of us. I still don't like either of you, at least you handed over the slippers. Now get lost, before I change my mind."

"Thank you." Jax said brightly. With that, the group left the castle (Dorothy barefoot), heading towards Emerald City again.

It was going to take three days to get back to the Emerald City. The girls and Lion needed sleep. Their dreams weren't great, though. Dorothy kept dreaming about the Scarecrow being lit on fire, and this time, he didn't live, and all of them died. Jax's dream began the same way Dorothy's had, but then, she would light herself on fire and she and Scarecrow would be killed at the same time. Lion had nightmares anyway, so no one noticed his whimpers so much, and he could've been dreaming about anything from bees to nearly getting killed in the West.

The girls reacted differently. Dorothy always slept quietly. She tossed and turned during nightmares, but rarely ever cried out, although occasionally tears escaped from under her eyelids. Jax was more vocal. She nearly always talked at least once regularly, and now she called out. Tinman and Scarecrow were always awake of course, usually talking.

On the second night, Tinman stood up with a sigh. "I can't listen to this any more." he sighed. "These nightmares are torturing _me. _I'm getting out of here." With that, he stood, oil can in hand, and walked away.

Scarecrow watched Jax. Even though they wouldn't tell each other how they really felt, they still had a close bond.

Suddenly, Jax gave a cry in her sleep. "No!" she cried. "Don't you dare hurt them! I swear..." She paused for a moment. "Here! Give me that broom! If he burns, I burn too! That's how much I care!" Another pause. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean! This is the real thing. I love him!"

Scarecrow's actions were barely consious as he moved closer to the teenager. "I love you too, Jax." he whispered. "Not that I'll ever be able to tell you."

**There, bet you didn't see that one coming! Wicked fans, don't kill me! Look at it this way: My universe Scarecrow is NOT, repeat NOT part of the Wicked universe, therefore he began a scarecrow and and will end a scarecrow. For people who think Dot and Scarecrow are the ones who should be together, sorry. I did put a little bit of Wicked in here, though. Read and Review, please! See you next time.**


	11. Chapter 11: Knowing It

**It's time for the next chapter! Okay, why are you reading this? The real thing is below.**

When the group got through the forest in the West, they expected to face the poppy field again, but it had disappeared, leaving only the yellow brick road.

"Well, that explains the poppies' weird effect." Jax muttered. "Dot, are your feet OK?"

"Yeah," shrugged the younger girl, "I don't mind going barefoot."

The group skipped along the road again, in good spirits. Dorothy held the broomstick and liked swinging with it. Jax kept behind a little, because her heels were again, stopping her from walking fast. Scarecrow kept in step with her. He'd wanted to ask her a question ever since the night he'd heard her talking. "Jax." he whispered, not wanting the other three to hear their conversation.

"Mmm?" the teenager asked.

"What were you dreaming about a couple of days ago?" Scarecrow asked.

Jax immediately turned a shade of crimson. "Oh." she said quietly. "I was talking, huh? Dot always says I talk in my sleep. Mom says I talk way too much anyway."

"Well," Scarecrow said hesitantly, "Did you mean what you were saying?"

Jax blushed even deeper, but she said "If it's what I think, yes, I guess I did." She kind of smiled wanly. "Wow, isn't this awkward? This is the first time I've actually had a crush on someone I didn't flirt with...well, not much."

Scarecrow grinned back at her and said "Is it that awkward...if it's reciprocated?"

Suddenly, their lips met, and their eyes closed. It wasn't Jax's first kiss-after all she'd played a couple of games like Truth or Dare which turned into a game of Spin The Bottle, but it was the first real kiss she'd ever had.

Neither Scarecrow nor Jax noticed the rest of the group watching them. Tinman had the most nostalgic look on his face mixed with bittersweet happiness at seeing the love. Lion was a little taken aback. Dorothy was happy for her cousin, but she couldn't resist a Jax-style wisecrack.

"Get a room!" she called out, just as her cousin and her friend broke apart.

Jax giggled. "I'm gonna remind you of that when you start dating." she laughed. "Anyway, I guess we better get through the last few metres to Emerald City."

The group was happy as they ran along the road, now linking arms again.

The group didn't have any problem getting into Emerald City this time, because the gatekeeper recognized them, even though Dorothy was barefoot.

"Come in." he said brightly, seeing Dorothy holding the broomstick. "I can't believe it! You actually managed to get the broomstick the Great Oz asked for?"

The group smiled. "Thanks to Jax." the Lion said. "She was the one who persuaded the Witch to hand it over and let us go free."

"In exchange for the ruby slippers." Jax added.

The five were allowed to see the Wizard immediately, who only told them to "go away and come back tomorrow."

"_Tomorrow?" _shrieked Dorothy. "I wanna go home now!"

"You've had plenty of time already!" Scarecrow pointed out.

"We proved ourselves worthy!" Jax called. "You had days to prepare!"

"Yeah!" Lion cried, braver than usual.

"Do not arouse the wrath of the great and powerful Oz! I said come back tomorrow."

"If you were really great and powerful, you'd be able to grant our requests now." Dorothy accused.

As the Wizard continued to rant, Toto ran to find that the voice was not coming from the head after all. There was a little green curtain, and behind it was a nervous-looking man. Just as he pulled it back, the head spoke again.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! The Great Oz has spoken!"

Jax rolled her eyes and yanked the curtain forward. "And you are?" she asked the man.

The man turned back and the head's voice boomed "I am the Great and Powerful-"

Then the man turned to the group and finished. "-Wizard of Oz."

This made Jax giggle. "Wow, you're the actual Wizard, huh? Not even scary. So what's with the head?"

The Wizard looked ashamed to be caught out not to be powerful. "Um, well, I flew in here a long time ago by balloon. I met this lovely woman, who thought I was amazing, and word spread and exaggerated. Before long, everyone thought I was a Wizard, and I got the Emerald City and Yellow Brick Road built. In fact," he added, "I have a daughter that lives in Oz. I only just found out."

"OK." Jax said. "I'm going to grill you about that later. For now, are you able to grant our requests?"

The Wizard looked at the group. "I don't think you've realized this-but you've had them all along!" he said.

**Time to end this chapter. Next one coming soon! Review, please!**


	12. Chapter 12: Leaving It

**Disclaimer still in effect, go on, here's the next chapter.**

The group stared at the Wizard, except for Jax, who was smiling. "I knew it." she muttered. "Tell 'em why."

"You all had those attributes, and used them to do as I asked you." the Wizard continued. "Lion, you needed the courage you think you didn't possess to face..." he paused "The Witch." he looked away as he said the last word, but went on. "Tinman, the compassion you had for the girls enabled you to work with the group to face her, too. And Scarecrow, you used your intelligence to not only face her, but get the broomstick."

Scarecrow frowned. "No, actually, it was Jax that talked her into it."

Jax took his hand. "But didn't you formulate the plan to rescue Dot and I?" Scarecrow smiled at her, as all three of the guys realized they did have what they wanted all along

The Wizard gave an answering frown. "You talked her into it? You mean-you didn't kill her?"

Jax shook her head. "No. How could we kill her?"

The Wizard's frown slowly began to turn into a smile, which he hid quickly.

"Wait a second!" Dorothy said. "Since you're not a real Wizard, does that mean you can't get me and Jax back to Kansas?"

The Wizard suddenly realized his situation and said "Oh, well, I have my hot air balloon. You two can use that to fly back home. I'm sorry, I must leave quickly." He gave the girls the balloon, and gave them the instructions, then ran off.

Jax looked through the instructions and swore. "I don't even understand any of this."

Although Dorothy had matured since she arrived in Oz, she was tired, and that little comment made her cry. "That means we'll never get home."

"You should stay with us." offered Lion. "We'd miss you both if you did go."

"That's kind," wept Dorothy, "But Kansas is where I belong."

Jax spoke up then. "You know, if we had the chance to get home, I'd stay if you would, Dot. Kansas isn't my style. It's grey, it's boring, and although I'd miss Mom and Dad, I didn't really have any other friends apart from you. In Oz it's ultracolourful, interesting, and finally, I have all my friends around me." She stepped closer to Scarecrow.

Suddenly, a very familiar bubble floated into the vicinity. Tinman spotted it first. "Dorothy, look!" he said. She looked.

Jax looked skeptical. "I have some questions to ask her." As soon as the bubble popped for Glinda, Jax went up to her and began "Hi. First, did you know the Wizard wasn't powerful? And second, how are we supposed to get home?"

Glinda smiled serenely. "Well, yes, I did know that, but there was a lesson for each of you that you needed to learn while you were here. And as for the second question, you gave your easy path home to get out of the West."

Dorothy gasped and turned to her cousin, a little angry. "Jax! You persuaded me to give up our path to Kansas to the Witch!"

Glinda shook her head. "No, your cousin didn't. You still do have a way home. But first, do you know what you have learnt?"

Dorothy spoke first. "I think...I learned to stop keeping my head in the clouds and dreaming of a better world. My home isn't perfect, but it's where I belong. Everything I want isn't any further than my home."

Then Jax said "I think I learnt that I don't have to flirt to impress people. I don't have to tease all the time. Sometimes I can be serious, and not everyone will think I'm boring." She looked at Glinda. "Have we got it right?"

Glinda nodded. "That's all it is. All you needed to do was to learn it. Now you can go home." She held out a pair of very familiar shoes.

"The ruby slippers!" gasped Dorothy. "How did you get those back?"

Glinda looked serious for once. "I'd be breaking a confidence if I told you. Now, Dorothy, put them back on, and I will tell you how to get home with those when you're ready."

"Jax and Toto too?" cried Dorothy. Glinda nodded.

Jax immediately went to say goodbye to each of her friends. "You're much braver than you think you are." she whispered to the Lion. "I'll miss you."

Dorothy in turn whispered "I know it's stupid, but I'll miss the way you cried when you were scared."

The Lion began to cry now. "I'll miss both of you too." she said.

"Goodbye, Tinman." Jax said to her metallic friend. "I'll miss you as well."

As Jax said that, Dorothy said goodbye to the Scarecrow, and then the girls turned to the opposite. "I think I'll miss you most of all." they said quietly in unison. Jax shared one last kiss with Scarecrow as Dorothy gave Tinman a quick kiss on the cheek, and then they turned to Glinda.

Close your eyes." Glinda instructed. "Hold hands. Dorothy, tap your heels together thrice, and both of you, think as hard as you can, _there's no place like home."_

The two girls repeatedly thought the phrase. Jax felt dizzy, as her time in Oz flashed before her eyes. Dorothy felt like she was flying in the house again, and then...

Nothing.

**This isn't the end! I'm planning on putting a twist at the end. You'll see.**


	13. Epilogue: Musical AN Please Read

**Well, I'm gonna cry. The end is near!**

Jax opened her eyes. Slowly, their surroundings came into focus. Em was standing there, concerned. She and Dorothy were back in their old room.

"Mom?" whispered Jax. "Oh wow, we're back! Was that all a dream?"

Dorothy shook her head. "No, I was just telling Auntie Em about Oz. I don't believe it was a dream."

"Well, I dreamed it too, Mom." Jax said. "So maybe I wasn't dreaming at all."

Em smiled a little. "Listen, girls, you were caught in a twister. It was probably just a strange dream that both of you had. It's OK. You're OK now."

Life soon returned to normal. Dorothy was more mature, and Jax kidded around slightly less, but more or less, life was the same. Then there was the day, about a month after Oz, when Jax, on a whim, looked up "Oz" on her computer. She immeditately called for Dorothy.

"Look!" she called. "It's a musical-_Wicked-_about Oz! And it's coming to Kansas next week! We have to see it!"

"Wow!" whispered Dorothy. "But can you get tickets?"

Jax grinned. "I've saved about $200. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Like-I know Oz can't be real, but it'll be fun to see what it's about."

That was how, a fortnight later, Dorothy and Jax were at the nearest theatre, watching as a green-skinned girl sang "_And nobody, in all of Oz, no Wizard that there is or was, is ever gonna bring me dowwwwwwwwn!"_

"_I hope you're happy!" _sang a blonde girl below her.

It was Intermission, and the girls had plenty to talk about.

"OK, let me get this straight." Jax said. "Glinda was best friends with the Witch, who was called Elphaba, and she wasn't wicked then?"

Dorothy was also shocked at the ideas. "And the woman our house crushed was Nessarose-it must've been her, she was Elphaba's sister-, and she couldn't walk. But her shoes weren't red, they were silver!" The ruby slippers had come home with Dorothy, surprisingly, but she didn't wear them, in honour of her trip to Oz.

As the second act unfolded, the girls suddenly saw things that were amazingly strange. They came out of the theatre, chatting.

"So Tinman's name was Boq?" Jax said. "Wow! Now I know what he meant by losing his heart to the Witch and what really happened. And Elphaba's spell was what turned the shoes red."

"What was your favourite song?" Dorothy asked, holding out the programme.

"Um...I liked _Popular _best_." _Jax said. "But also, I liked _Dancing Through Life _and _As Long As You're Mine. _What was your favourite?"

Dorothy's answer surprised Jax. "Either _For Good _or _The Wicked Witch Of The East." _she said. "The role of Nessarose should really sing way more."

"There's two things I don't understand." Jax said. "Apparently Elphaba had water thrown on her by one of us, but the water didn't hit her. As for the Scarecrow...were there two? I'm sure the one that was with us can't possibly have been Fiyero. Otherwise he wouldn't have said he loved me." The younger girl nodded.

"Now I want to go back to Oz." she sighed. "I want to apologize to Elphaba for believing she was wicked and murdering Nessarose."

"Me too." Jax said. "But hey, we might well go back one day. I hope I do." She thought of something. "Hey, did you realize, the Wizard rushed off because he realized his daughter was alive?"

Dorothy nodded. "I can't believe that Green Elixir was what turned her skin green, that was all it was."

As the cousins walked along, chatting, a story idea went through Jax's head. A story about a girl that returned to Oz after a long time, and tied up all the loose ends. She noted it down in her head, and continued to listen to her cousin.

**Bet you didn't see that one coming. Well, please review. If not, it would be great if you could review my other story, _The Witch and Heroine of Oz. _Thanks to everyone who's supported me while I was writing this.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from _The Wizard Of Oz. _However, I own Jax completely.**

**Finally, this is important. I am writing a fic called "Enchanting Pixie" based on the franchise featuring a villainess called Carmen Sandiego. There is a poll on my profile on what I should focus on. Please read it, review it, and vote on the poll!**

**Love SideshowJazz1 xxx**


End file.
